Should teachers ‘friend’ their students on Facebook?

Facebook is in the news a lot these days, whether its a splashy IPO for investors, the amazing wealth of founder Mark Zuckerberg … or inappropriate sexual content.

And someof that last category occurs between teachers and their students.

“In January, a California teacher was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy,’ the AP reports. “Investigators say that relationship began with text messages, Facebook postings and instant messaging.

” … Paul Roberts was “Teacher of the Year” when he was arrested and fired from his job teaching math at Stafford Middle School in Texas. Administrators allege the 52-year-old educator’s Facebook conversations with two students featured lewd dialogue peppered with ‘profanity of a sexual nature’.”

Whaddya think?

— Should teachers “friend” their students on Facebook and vice versa?

— Is it a modern tool for communication … or just too much of a temptation for some vulnerable kids?

— Should some types of contact on social networks be allowed, and if so, which kinds?